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Thirteen national parks dot the state of Texas, ranging from battlefields and a presidential ranch to vast parks preserving geological wonders and scenic bodies of water. A tour through several of the parks gives you a chance to sample the state's varied terrain and geology. Visitors can camp within the boundaries of these parks, with campgrounds for RV and tent campers that put you close to the area's outdoor recreational opportunities.

Desert

The 801,000-acre Big Bend National Park (nps.gov), one of the largest but least visited national parks in the United States, provides visitors with lots of seclusion. The park is on the border of Mexico and covers part of the Chihuahuan Desert. Hiking trails, float trips down the Rio Grande and bike riding let you get close to the area's flora and fauna. The park offers three developed front country campgrounds with sites for tent and RV campers, but no hookups. A campground at Rio Grande Village offers full hookups for RVs. The park also allows you to camp in the backcountry at primitive campsites, along roads that usually require hiking or four-wheel drive vehicles to reach. A backcountry use permit is required before camping in the backcountry.

Ocean

A visit to Padre Island National Seashore (nps.gov) along Texas' southeastern shoreline offers beach activities, fishing and camping at five developed campgrounds. Head to Laguna Madre for bird watching, especially active during spring and fall migrations. The Malaquite Campground lets you set up a tent on the beach, while birdwatchers find Bird Island Basin ideal for setting up base camp with RV and tent sites available. Bird Island also offers windsurfing and a boat ramp. Along the northernmost area of the park on the Gulf of Mexico, camp at North Beach, where you'll find primitive campsites open to RVs and tents.

Mountains

A camping trip to Guadalupe Mountains National Park (nps.gov) gives you a chance to experience dry low desert and lush high mountain settings all in one park. The park has two developed campgrounds. For desert camping, head to Pine Springs near the park's visitor center. Dog Canyon Campground offers forested campsites at a slightly higher elevation, protected by steep cliffs. Backpackers can use more than 10 backcountry campgrounds situated along more than 80 miles of trails. Backpackers must obtain a backcountry use permit from the visitor center before hitting the trail.

Planning

Planning your trip based on local weather makes the experience far more enjoyable. In desert-area Texas parks, temperatures soar in the summer, making spring, late fall and winter preferable times to visit. If you plan to backpack to a campsite, you must bring everything with you that you require for camping, including water. You also need to pack everything back out that you bring in.

About the Author

Nancy Wagner is a marketing strategist and speaker who started writing in 1998. She writes business plans for startups and established companies and teaches marketing and promotional tactics at local workshops. Wagner's business and marketing articles have appeared in "Home Business Journal," "Nation’s Business," "Emerging Business" and "The Mortgage Press," among others. She holds a B.S. from Eastern Illinois University.